This simple-yet-stunning combination of bay, box and crab apple is easy to make from garden plants – and it won’t cost you a fortune.

The crab apple, Malus ‘Golden Hornet’, is loaded every year with small, amber-yellow fruit. By Christmas many have fallen to the ground, though the branches are still decked with copious amounts of fruit. Decorative and versatile, they’re ideal for using in table decorations. Combine them with bay leaves and bunches of box, to make festive table decorations. They make an attractive display, set off perfectly with old terracotta pots.

Create a Christmas table decoration with the help of our simple, five-step guide, below.

This simple-yet-stunning combination of bay, box and crab apple is easy to make from garden plants.

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You Will Need

Old terracotta pots (15cm)

Oasis, or floral foam blocks

Bay plant

Box plant

Crab apples, we used 'Golden Hornet'

Stub wire

Secateurs

Pliers

Total time:

1 hour

Step 1

Christmas table decoration – cutting the oasis

Soak the Oasis in water and cut it to fit the pots. If they are going to sit on a precious surface, line them first with a sheet of plastic.

Step 2

Christmas table decoration – stripping the bay

Push the Oasis into pots. Strip the lower leaves off the bay and stick it in, starting in the centre and working out.

Step 3

Christmas table decoration – adding the bay

Fill the spaces between the bay with twiggy stems of box. Use pieces with lots of side shoots to give a full, bushy effect.

Step 4

Christmas table decoration – piercing the crab apples

Pierce each crab apple with a piece of wire. When it’s half way through, bend it at the entry point to keep it in place.

Step 5

Christmas table decoration – finished display

Push the wired apples among the greenery, making sure they are evenly spaced.

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Make your display last longer

Put the pots outside at night to make them last longer and refresh them by watering the Oasis regularly.

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